As this Thanksgiving holiday is upon us, like so many others, I’ve been reflecting on all of the things that I’m so thankful for in this season. Easy answer, EVERYTHING! Of course, you can always find something to complain about, something you’re not happy with or want to change/improve, a different stage/point/goal in life that you’re desiring to achieve… But if you’re like me, and can look at your life and mentally make a list (or write a list if you’re a visual person) of all the good things in life that you have to be grateful for and it outweighs your bad in any way, then you ought to be thankful, grateful and blessed! The fact that you have life… period… is enough to automatically make you thankful, grateful and blessed! Always remember that someone else has it worse off than you and they would be happy to be in your shoes instead!

Like anyone else, of course there are things that I’m working on, working towards, improving, and/or desiring to have, but my level of gratitude for where I currently am and what I actively have definitely outweighs it all! So let’s get into it! What am I thankful, grateful and blessed about this year?! Like I said, EVERYTHING, but let’s break this down a bit shall we?!

6. My Family…

My family is L-I-T!!! My family is the realest of MVPs! Like no smoke, I wouldn’t trade them for the world. 2018 has been a world wind of a year for me. I completely flipped my entire life on it’s head this year. I moved from Texas, back to Chicago (I LOVE TEXAS!). I went from living alone, to back into my childhood home. I quit travel nursing and took a full time position (with a big pay cut). It was just a lot of big moves at once. I think (nah, I know) I went through a moment of culture shock in a sense. No, none of it was new to me, but it had been A LONG TIME since I’d done any of it. 3 years since I’d moved from Chicago, about 6 or more years since I’d lived in my childhood home and about 4 years since I’ve worked a full time staff position. But, all the changes are for a bigger end goal. At the beginning of August, I kind of went through a slump and really retreated into myself for about a week. I didn’t talk to my family (or anyone else) about it (and for that I’m sorry family because it had nothing to do with y’all), so of course they noticed the change, but they also gave me my space and for that I’m appreciative. Literally, it’s all I needed. But I’m grateful for the fact that they’re there. I’m blessed that I can run downstairs whenever I want to chop it up with my parents, or just see their faces. I find comfort in just knowing that they’re down there and I can just poke my head in on my way out the door to work. I don’t have to call and see how they are, I know how they are everyday. I don’t say it enough, but I love my family. Y’all hold me down like no other and for that, I am forever Thankful, Grateful and Blessed!

5. My Extended Family…

God really knew what He was doing when He created me, because He entrusted me with one of the biggest hearts ever, but He also provided me with extra people to spread all of this love out to! I’ve got family for days! I have extra mamas and dads that love lil’ ole me as if they birthed me themselves! I have aunts and uncles that I cherish more than anyone. I have sisters and brothers that any unknowing person would never guess that we aren’t blood related! In turn, I have more nieces and nephews than I can keep up with! And for all of them, God remains that realest MVP! HE KNEW your girl would have a heart to love people and so a plethora of people He’s blessed my life with! Family, isn’t restricted to those with blood relation, but extended to those whose relation is present, available, and open to loving you like their own. My family is what I made it! What God blessed me with! My team is SOLID! For them all I’m THANKFUL, GRATEFUL & BLESSED!

4. My friends…

Talking about a solid team… O-M-G! I could go on for ages talking about my friends! God really came through for a real one when He gifted me with the friends that I have! They are the epitome of greatness! From my friends I’ve had for 25 years to the friendships I’ve forged within the last 5 years, I can’t thank God enough! Every one of them are so vital and our relationships area so special to me. When I say I wouldn’t trade either of them for the world?! Not one! My friends are me family! Literally, we all call each other sis/bro! My parents are their parents and vice versa! Blood couldn’t make us anymore family! They rock and roll for me the long way. Everybody need to get them a them! A real one. I don’t know what I did to deserve them all, but God’s favor is fabulous where they’re concerned. If I never had another reason to be THANKFUL, GRATEFUL & BLESSED, my friends are more than enough reason to be! Y’all know who you are!

3. My Co-workers…

I’ve worked my share of facilities since being a nurse (8 facilities in 6 1/2 years to be exact), so I’ve work with 8 different teams of employees and under more than 8 managers. My current team is definitely #1 in my book! From my fellow co-workers, all of my charge nurses, to our managers, they’re the best! I’ve worked with some other great teams, and charge nurses and some not so great managers, but the consistency of greatness is just off the board where I currently am. I never mind going to work, I never care who my team is (night shift) because regardless, I know they’ll be solid. Even when (for lack of better terms) we’re getting our asses handed to us busy, I never feel overwhelmed or pressured because I know my team is strong and everyone is equally pulling their weight, helping each other out at every turn, and we’re all surviving (or dying) together! Above all, it feels like a big family! I’m so grateful that they have taken me in as one of their own! Not to toot my own horn, but they love me! And I equally love them all back! Everyone is so supportive and we have so much fun together all while saving lives (or rapping 50 Cent at Ravinia… or drinking wine at Coopers Hawk). So to my NCH ED Night Shift team, for you all, I’m forever THANKFUL, GRATEFUL & BLESSED! The peace of mind you all provide me makes the pay cut worth it! LOL…

2. My Future Husband…

Yup, I said it! My future husband! And No, I don’t know who he is yet! What I do know is that God is strategically holding out, preparing and planning this thing just right and whenever he does come, it’s going to be E-P-I-C!!! I already know, trust and believe that anything that God plans and has His hands in is already operated and orchestrated on a level bigger than my wildest dreams could ever imagine! (And my dreams are already wild and big!) So I’m just fastening my seat belt and preparing myself to be standing in proper alignment to receive the magnitude of mind blowing amazement that this man is about to be! Y’all don’t hear me though! So, to you my future husband, I’m THANKFUL, GRATEFUL & BLESSED by the fact that our love story is being written by the greatest author of all times! Just wait on… Coming soon!

1. My God…

Regardless of how up in the air this year has been, God has always been my consistent. No matter how high or how low the peaks and valleys of 2018 has been, I know who the sculptor of my destiny always is and because of that, I never have to worry. I’m no where near perfect! I don’t pray as diligently as I should, I don’t read my bible as often as I ought to, and I don’t spend as much time simply in the presence of God as I could… I allow my day to day to get so hectic and chaotic that I don’t leave myself much time to stop and think much at all. In turn, there have been instances where I’ve sat my relationship with God on the sidelines, where He should never be! Yet He is faithful. I fall short of His glory on a daily basis, yet and still He loves me! I’ve allowed life to rattle me from time to time, I’ve slipped in my faith in moments of weakness, yet and still He’s merciful and His grace is sufficient enough for me! God’s grace! His unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor and love is what I’m the absolute most THANKFUL, GRATEFUL & BLESSED about during this Thanksgiving season!

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO THE KINGDOM!!! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT OF MY BLOG THIS FAR! FOR ALL OF YOU THAT CONTINUE TO TUNE IN AND READ EVERY NEW POSTING, I THANK YOU! FOR THIS PLATFORM AND YOUR SUPPORT, I AM THANKFUL, GRATEFUL & BLESSED! 

What are you all Thankful, Grateful & Blessed about this Thanksgiving?! Leave me a comment down below and let’s talk about it! 

Stay Loyal, Stay Royal!
XOXO
Freddie J.

Song of the Week: Hezekiah Walker- Grateful

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